


Betrayed

by Marybunnie



Series: My Whumptober fics (2020) :D [5]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crying, Dark, Dark Arthur, Dark Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gen, M/M, Magic Revealed, Merlin loses his magic, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Non-Consensual Bondage, Tell me what to tag y'all, Whumptober 2020, arthur does not take it well, broken trust, no beta we die like unnus annus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:00:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26982541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marybunnie/pseuds/Marybunnie
Summary: Merlin is forced to reveal his magic when Arthur suffers from deadly wounds. Arthur does not take it well.
Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: My Whumptober fics (2020) :D [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1963336
Comments: 6
Kudos: 116
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Betrayed

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so I finished Merlin like a month ago and omg I love it so much! It made my quarantine a lot better.
> 
> I hope y'all can welcome me into the fandom :D
> 
> Can't believe my first contribution is whump lmao (I totally can)
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated! Enjoy!

“Arthur!” Merlin screamed as his king collapsed from the lethal blow delivered by the brigand he was fighting.

Merlin panicked as he saw his friend fall to the ground with that monster towering over him. He let out a burst of magic and the remaining men surrounding the servant fell to the ground. Then Merlin pushed the brigand near his king against a tree using magic. It was a deadly and harsh strike so Merlin was quite certain that the treasonous bastard was in fact dead.

He immediately rushed to his king’s side and assessed the damage. It was bad. Very bad. He would never make it all the way back to Gaius without dying and practical field medicine would never work in time. His only option was magic.

“Merlin…” Arthur croaked out weakly as he looked at his friend. He gave him a weak smile as if to comfort the loyal servant. Arthur knew that his death would hit him hard. He was both right and wrong.

It would hurt Merlin tremendously to see him die but he wasn’t going to.

Merlin would save him.

The servant let out a sigh and closed his eye in concentration as he pressed his hands against Arthur’s wounded abdomen.

Arthur hissed in pain and glared at Merlin. “W-what are you doing? Merlin, you fool!” he said weakly, without his usually venomous snark.

Then Merlin began chanting in the old religion. Arthur’s eyes widened in disbelief at the sight in front of him. Merlin had opened his eyes to look at his actions and they were glowing like a sorcerer’s when they were casting a spell.

But that couldn’t be right, could it? Sweet, clumsy, perfect Merlin would never taint himself with the devilish sin that was magic. Right?

But the evidence was happening right in front of him. Merlin was using a magic.

Soon the unbearable pain stopped in his stomach and he glanced down. There was no wound, just blood stained armor and cloth.

Arthur shifted his wide eyes back to his servant who gave him a nervous, small, endearing smile.

Arthur shook his head. “Merlin…why?”

Even Arthur did not know what he was asking the boy. Why did he save him? Why didn’t he tell him? Although the answer to that was quite obvious.

Merlin blinked his eyes downwards before looking back up to meet Arthur’s gaze. “I’m sorry for keeping my true self from you Arthur. I did not want to put you in an uncomfortable situation. But Arthur I use my magic for you! Only you,” Merlin rambled truthfully.

Arthur nodded. He was in turmoil inside. Merlin was a sorcerer all this time. He had always known that his dear manservant used to have secrets but he had never expected this from him. Magic was evil and it corrupted the soul. It made the bearer a cruel and wicked thing. It had done it too Morgana and it slaughtered both of his parents. It _was_ an abomination.

As Arthur observed the nervous, anxious expression on his servant, he knew he could not kill him. He could never harm his Merlin.

Merlin was not an abomination…as yet at least. Arthur needed to find a way to fix him, to make him better from this sickness he had contracted.

Arthur smiled at his servant and ruffled his head of jet back hair before standing up. It did not hurt; he was just sore.

He peered down to his boy who was still kneeling on the floor. “Well, come on Merlin. We have to find the others and head back home,” Arthur informed nonchalantly.

Merlin looked perturbed. “You’re not mad at me?” he queried confused. Arthur shook his head.

“You saved me Merlin. I’m grateful for you,” he said honestly.

The wide, bright smile that spread across Merlin’s face made Arthur’s heart ache as he remembered the dirty magic coursing through Merlin’s veins.

* * *

Merlin came to on Arthur’s large and luxurious bed. He groaned in pain at the throbbing feeling at the back of his head. It felt like he had been knocked out but that was impossible because they had met up with the knights and Arthur pulled them aside to tell them something and then Merlin…

He felt a pain on the back of his head…

Like when Gwen knocked him out cold with a jug…

They had attacked him! The knights! His dear friends. But why would they? Unless….

Merlin panicked as he realized the situation he was in. He jolted out of the bed. Or at least he tried to.

Metal shackles cuffed his slender wrists to the bed head, on either side of Merlin’s face and he could not set himself free by sheer force. He had never been the strongest physically.

That’s why he was grateful and oh so very dependent on his magic.

He incantated a spell to break the restraints. It did not work. Merlin swallowed hard.

He tried it again, hoping for the warm sensation in his eyes that buzzed when he chanted a spell. It never came.

Merlin started shaking on the bed. It was not even that warm in the chambers but he was sweating. Dammit, he was scared. Why was this happening?

Then Arthur, his beloved friend and king strolled into the room and Merlin begged.

“A-Arthur! Please get these cuffs off of me! I-I I don’t know what’s…something’s happened to my magic! And-” Merlin rambled, shaking his head in disbelief, shock and pure, unadulterated fear.

He was completely vulnerable without his magic. Not to mention, weak. How was he supposed to protect Arthur without it?

“Shhhh Merlin, calm down,” Arthur comforted him as he walked his way to his bed and sat on the side of Merlin. He stroked his soft hair gently, as if to console a little child who had lost his favorite toy. “Everything’s alright. You’ll be okay.”

Merlin shook his head harder and he looked up at his king with wide eyes. “N-no you don’t understand. My magic…I can’t feel it, Arthur!” He explained as he yanked his arms.

Arthur quickly stopped the struggling. “Oh, but I do Merlin. I’ve done you a favor. I’ve rid you of your magic forever. You’re safe now.”

Merlin pulled away from Arthur as he realized what was happening. “W-what? Why? Why would you do that to me?” He screamed as tears pricked his eyes.

Arthur looked distraught by Merlin’s reaction. He never liked to see his boy upset. He moved to comfort him again but Merlin was not having it.

“Answer me!” He had screamed and rolled away from the king’s hand.

Arthur sighed deeply and shook his head; he took the outstretched hand and ran it through his hair.

“It was destroying you Merlin. It would have corrupted you and turned you into a monster if I didn’t purge you from it. You should be thankful,” Arthur told him simply.

Tears fell down Merlin’s face. He had thought that Arthur understood that he was more openminded and considerate but…He was Uther Pendragon’s son right now. Not his friend and certainly not his once and future king.

“You said that you understood…that you would give magic a chance in Camelot!” Merlin shrieked as he continued to pull against the cuffs.

Arthur grabbed his wrists quickly, not wanted Merlin to hurt himself during his futile escape attempts.

He looked him right in the eye and said deadpan. “There are no chances for magic in Camelot.”

Merlin sobbed and caved into himself as he pulled away from Arthur’s vice like grip that eventually loosened. He hiccupped as he turned his back away from the traitor.

“Y-you lied…I don’t know you anymore…” Merlin mumbled as he cried into the linen. It was true. Arthur had managed to break his trust as well as himself.

Arthur sighed once more and looked at his boy pitifully. “I’m sorry you’re taking this so hard, Merlin. But I know you’ll see reason soon enough. When you do, things will go back to how things were,” Arthur pet his hair endearingly, ignored Merlin’s flinches and terrified demeanor.

Merlin knew that wasn’t true though. There was not going to be any “going back to normal”. Merlin had lost everything in one day. His Magic, his king and his destiny.

And as Merlin cried himself till he was exhausted and on the brink of sleep, he wished he had never healed Arthur that day.

**Author's Note:**

> Anyway feel free to scream at me on [my tumblr](https://marybunnie.tumblr.com/) about star wars, anime, this fic or the weather :P


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